The circulation of water between the atmosphere, land, and oceans on the earth. Water evaporates from the oceans and other water bodies on earth to form water vapour in the atmosphere. This may condense to form clouds and be returned to the earth’s surface as precipitation (e.g. rainfall, hail, and snow). Some of this precipitation is returned to the atmosphere directly through evaporation or transpiration by plants; some flows off the land surface as overland flow, eventually to be returned to the oceans via rivers; and some infiltrates the ground to flow underground forming groundwater storage.
This is the movement of water and its transformation between the gaseous (vapour), liquid, and solid forms. The major processes are condensation by which precipitation is formed, movement and storage of water overland or underground, evaporation, and the horizontal transport of moisture. The length of time any water stays in the atmosphere is about eleven days.
Hydrological cycle
- income velocity of circulation
- incommensurable
- incommensurate lattice
- incompatibilist
- incompatibility
- incompatible
- incompatible elements
- incompetent
- incomplete contract
- incomplete dominance
- incomplete information
- incomplete knowledge-based system
- incomplete markets
- incompleteness
- incompleteness theorems
- incomplete symbol
- incompossible
- incompressibility modulus
- incompressible
- incompressible fluid
- inconel
- incongruent counterparts
- incongruent dissolution
- incongruent melting
- inconsequent drainage